The present invention relates to bed and mattress structures and particularly to mattress structures that may be customized for individual users. The mattress of the present invention may be delivered to the user in a variety of forms assembled from kits provided at the point of sale to accommodate the musculoskeletal condition of the user. The mattress may also be customized at the factory or at some assembly location other than the point of sale based on a customer's reaction to a test mattress used at the point of sale.
It is well known to provide foam support pads or mattresses for supporting a user reclining on the pad. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,879,776; 5,038,433; 5,077,849; 5,111,542; and 5,172,439, all to Farley, disclose mattress overlays and pads for supporting a user. In addition, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,449,261 to Magnusson and 4,991,244 to Walker disclose mattress borders for receiving core mattresses, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,488 to Hutchinson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,803,744 to Peck et al.; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,424,600 and 4,435,864 to Callaway, disclose supporting surfaces having selectively adjustable firmness.
A mattress structure in accordance with the present invention is suitable for use with a conventional mattress positioned to lie upon an articulating deck. The conventional mattress includes a head portion for supporting the scapula and the lumbar of the a seat portion for supporting the user's sacrum, a thigh portion for supporting the thighs of the user, and a foot portion. Each named mattress portion is associated respectively with the head, seat, thighs, and feet of the person resting on the sleeping surface of the bed as well as with the underlying head, seat, thigh, and foot sections of the deck.
The mattress further includes a mattress cover having a top mattress cover and a bottom mattress cover coupled to the top mattress cover. The top and bottom mattress covers define a mattress interior receiving a plurality of mattress structure components. The bottom cover can be placed on a surface and used as a template for building the mattress with a "bottom up" assembly technique placing the components on the bottom of the mattress on top of the bottom cover and building the other components thereon. The top cover may also be positioned to facilitate a "top down" assembly by starting with the top cover and first adding the components on the top of the mattress to the top cover and building the other components thereon.
The mattress structure components include a frame made from a relatively firm foam rubber such as a high resiliency, high density urethane foam. The frame is positioned generally along the perimeter of the mattress. Use of a relatively firm foam provides support characteristics that aid users as they ingress and egress to and from an upwardly-facing sleeping surface of the mattress and that prevent the user from rolling off of the sleeping surface. The frame is formed to include a central opening beneath the sleeping surface above which the user will rest.
A plurality of cores including an air bladder, "zone foam" elements, "sculptured foam" shaped from foam blocks, and combinations thereof are provided for filling the central opening. The cores are selected to customize the firmness, support, and interface pressure characteristics to meet the individual desires of each user. To customize the mattress in such a fashion requires considering the combination of each individual's height, weight, body type, weight distribution, health conditions, and preferences.
The preferred method for customizing the mattress is initiated when a potential user completes a questionnaire to aid in the analysis of that user's "sleep profile." The sleep profile assesses such factors as the user's general health and sleep habits. A firmness recommendation is computed either in terms of a pressure for various zones of a "test mattress" containing an air bladder or in terms of a foam type and density for each zone. In addition, a surface recommendation is established based on the user's responses to a surface recommendation questionnaire.
Once the surface and hardness recommendations are established, the user lies on a test sleeping surface containing an air bladder that is pressurized to match the firmness recommendation. Zones of the air bladder are then adjusted to match the preferences of the user and the resulting preferred firmness readings are recorded. An algorithm has been developed that translates the preferred firmness readings into a customized bed configuration. For example, the preferred firmness readings can be translated to establish the foam density that, if incorporated into a mattress, will provide the firmness and support characteristics similar to those provided by the test sleeping surface having the preferred firmness readings.
Once the customized bed configuration is established, a mattress can be assembled from a kit at the point of sale containing the plurality of cores for the user to test and verify that the mattress meets his or her preferences. If the mattress is not satisfactory, it can be adjusted at the point of sale. Once the user is satisfied, he or she can immediately take delivery of the completed customized mattress if desired. In the alternative, once the customized bed configuration is established, the data describing this configuration can be transmitted to a factory at which the mattress is assembled for delivery to the user.
The mattress structure in accordance with the present invention can be sized for a twin bed, a double bed, a queen-sized bed, or a king-sized bed. When the mattress is sized for queen-sized and king-sized beds, both sides of the mattress can be individually customized if desired to provide the firmness and support characteristics desired by individual sleep partners by customizing the core and customizing the topper to provide the desired firmness and support for each side of the bed. In such a "side-by-side" customization, the core and toppers supporting each user on separate halves of the mattress are distinct and separate. Having distinct and separate cores and toppers facilitates this customization while also serving to minimize the transmission of motion from one half of the mattress to the other when one of the sleeping partners moves.
As will be discussed in greater detail later in the specification, the mattress structure can be provided with an air bladder adjacent a foam block that is selectively adjustable by the user to provide varied firmness and support characteristics. If the same mattress is used on a bed having an articulating deck, the mattress can be provided with a hand held controller for use by the user that controls the adjustment of both the position of the deck and the bladder. In addition, the hand held controller can include a "memory set" feature that allows the user to establish preferred deck and mattress combination settings.
For example, the user may desire a first set of support characteristics at a pre-selected zone of the mattress when the deck is in a generally planar sleeping position. The user could establish this set of characteristics as the first memory setting. The user may also desire a different set of support characteristics at that zone of the mattress when the deck is positioned in a reclining position away from the generally planar sleeping position. If the user establishes this second set of characteristics as the second memory setting, the user can automatically move the bed and mattress structure to either of the first or second set of characteristics by pressing a button. Of course, even with these memory settings established, the user can move the bed and mattress to other positions as desired.
In addition, the mattress structure can be provided with combinations of air bladders, zone foam elements, and sculptured foam to produce a "combination mattress." For example, the mattress structure can be provided having an air bladder supporting the scapula, foam supporting the lumbar, an air bladder in the seat portion supporting the sacrum, and foam supporting the thighs and legs. If desired, the air bladders can be in fluid communication so that they inflate and deflate at the same times and to the same pressures or the air bladders can be independent of one another and independently controlled by the user so that they user can establish different characteristics of support and firmness for each of the scapula and the sacrum.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a mattress structure is provided that may be customized at the point of sale to accommodate the musculoskeletal condition and interface pressure preference of the user. The mattress structure includes a frame that defines a central opening and a foam core being positioned to lie within the central opening of the frame. The foam core comprises a head-end foam block, a foot-end foam block, and a seat foam block positioned to lie between the head and foot foam blocks. Each of the foam blocks has a top side and an opposite bottom side. The mattress structure further comprises a first block that has a first block firmness and is positioned to lie between the head-end foam block and the seat foam block and a second block that has a second block firmness and is positioned to lie between the foot-end foam block and the seat foam block. The second block firmness is different than the first block firmness and may be pre-selected by the user. Further, the mattress comprises a first cover having a first cover firmness and formed for extension across the frame and between the head-end and foot-end foam blocks and a second cover having a second cover firmness and formed for extension across an opposite side of the frame between the head-end and foot-end foam blocks. The second cover firmness is different than the first cover firmness to provide the user with a plurality of firmness configurations.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a mattress core is provided that comprises a frame that defines an interior region and that has a top end and an opposite bottom end and first and second covers. The first cover is coupled to the top end of the side wall and has a first cover firmness. The second cover is coupled to the bottom end of the side wall and has a second cover firmness that is greater than the first cover firmness. The mattress core further comprises a seat-support section positioned to lie within the interior region, a first foam block, and a second foam block. The seat-support section has a top side facing the first cover, an opposite bottom side facing the second cover, and opposite walls extending between the top and bottom sides. The first foam block is positioned to lie adjacent one side of the seat-support section and has a first core firmness and the second foam block is positioned to lie adjacent the opposite side of the seat-support section and has a second core firmness that is different than the first core firmness.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention a mattress is provided that comprises a frame that defines an interior region, a one-piece inflatable bladder positioned to lie within the interior region of the frame, and a plurality of foam blocks. The foam blocks are positioned to lie upon the inflatable bladder within the interior region of the frame. In addition, the foam blocks are configured to move upon the inflatable bladder relative to one another.
In still another embodiment of the present invention a mattress is provided that comprises a frame that includes a head-end section, a foot-end section and opposing sides that extend between the head-end section and the foot-end section and define an interior region therebetween and a plurality of foam blocks positioned to lie within the interior region of the frame. The foam blocks include opposite ends that are coupled to the opposite sides of the frame by an adhesive positioned to lie between the frame and the blocks.
Further, in another embodiment of the present invention a mattress is provided that comprises a frame defining an interior region, a plurality of foam blocks positioned to lie within the interior region of the frame, and an inflatable bladder positioned to lie adjacent one of the foam blocks.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a mechanism for attaching a pillow top on a mattress is provided. The attachment mechanism comprises a pillow top handle coupled to the pillow top, a mattress handle coupled to the mattress vertically adjacent the pillow top handle, and a strap. The pillow top handle includes opposite ends and a handle portion that extends between the opposite ends and defines a gripping aperture. The mattress handle includes opposite ends and a handle portion that extends between the opposite ends and defines a griping aperture. The strap is sized for extension through the gripping apertures of the pillow top and mattress handles and includes opposite ends and a fastening mechanism thereon. The fastening mechanism is configured to coupled the opposite ends of the strap together.
According to the present invention a pillow top assembly is provided suitable to lie upon a top cover of a mattress so that the pillow top assembly is configured to lie between the mattress and a user resting upon the mattress. The pillow top assembly comprises first and second fabric layers and a series of zoned blocks therebetween. The first fabric layer has an external side, an opposite internal side, a head end, and an opposite foot end. The second fabric layer is coupled to the first fabric layer and has an external side and an opposite internal side that cooperates with the internal side of the first fabric layer to define an internal region therebetween. The series of zoned blocks is positioned to lie within the internal region and is configured to extend between the head end and the foot end of the first fabric layer.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a pillow top assembly is provided suitable for use on a top cover of a mattress. The pillow top assembly comprises a fabric shell and a series of zoned blocks. The fabric shell includes a top layer, a bottom layer spaced apart from the top layer to define an interior region therebetween, a head end, and an opposite foot end. The series of zoned blocks is positioned to lie within the interior region and extends between the head and foot ends of the fabric shell. Each of the zoned blocks in the series has a first end and an opposite second end and the second end of the first zoned block in the series is movably coupled to the first end of the adjacent zoned block in the series.
According to still another embodiment of the present invention, a pillow top assembly is provided suitable for use on a mattress. The pillow top assembly includes a fabric shell and a series of zoned blocks. The fabric shell includes a top layer having a first thermal resistance and a bottom layer spaced apart from the top layer to define an interior region therebetween and having a second thermal resistance that is greater than the first thermal resistance of the top layer, a head end, and an opposite foot end. The series of zoned blocks are positioned to lie within the internal region to extend between the head end and the foot end of the fabric shell.
Additional objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.